Pull down refrigerator shelf and refrigerator with the same

Abstract

A pull down refrigerator shelf for a storage compartment of a refrigerator, the pull down refrigerator shelf may include a rear shelf plate; a front shelf plate disposed in front of the rear shelf plate and configured to be selectively positioned on a same plane as the rear shelf plate or below the rear shelf plate; and a shelf sliding and lowering mechanism disposed under the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate and configured to allow the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate to slide integrally, the shelf sliding and lowering mechanism configured to allow the front shelf plate to lower relative to the rear shelf plate while maintaining a horizontal state.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pull down refrigerator shelf for a storage compartment of a refrigerator, the pull down refrigerator shelf comprising:
 a rear shelf plate; 
 a front shelf plate, disposed in front of the rear shelf plate, configured to be selectively positioned on a same plane as the rear shelf plate or lowered relative to the rear shelf plate; and 
 a shelf sliding and lowering mechanism, disposed under the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate, configured to allow the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate to slide integrally and to allow the front shelf plate to be selectively positioned to be lowered relative to the rear shelf plate while maintaining a horizontal state in a state where the rear shelf plate is moved forward together with the front shelf plate and is stopped, 
 wherein the shelf sliding and lowering mechanism comprises a left shelf sliding and lowering mechanism and a right shelf sliding and lowering mechanism which are disposed under the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate and are spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other, 
 wherein each of the left shelf sliding and lowering mechanism and the right shelf sliding and lowering mechanism comprises:
 a rear support bracket configured to support the rear shelf plate; 
 a slide rail configured to slide the rear support bracket; 
 a hanger configured to fix the slide rail and detachably disposed in the refrigerator; 
 a support arm, rotatably disposed at one end of the rear support bracket, configured to allow the front shelf plate to be lowered in the horizontal state; 
 a shock absorber disposed on the rear support bracket and supporting one end of the support arm; 
 a front support bracket, rotatably disposed at another end of the support arm, configured to support the front shelf plate; and 
 a fixing lever provided in at least one of the left shelf sliding and lowering mechanism and the right shelf sliding and lowering mechanism, the fixing lever configured to allow the front support bracket to be fixed or rotated relative to the support arm, and 
 
 wherein the support arm comprises:
 a housing having one side formed as an opening; 
 first and second fixed shafts disposed on a bottom surface of the housing; 
 a first sprocket and a second sprocket rotatably disposed on the first and second fixed shafts; 
 a chain wound around the first sprocket and the second sprocket; 
 a housing cover configured to cover the opening of the housing and to support the first sprocket and the second sprocket to rotate; and 
 a fixed ring plate, provided on one end portion of the housing cover, configured to rotate or fix the front support bracket with respect to the housing together with the fixing lever. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the shelf sliding and lowering mechanism further comprises:
 a damper, disposed on the hanger, configured to cushion an impact when rear support bracket slides; and 
 a damper operator disposed on the rear support bracket to be in contact with the damper. 
 
     
     
       3. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fixed ring plate comprises:
 an operating groove configured to limit a rotation angle of the front support bracket; 
 an upper fixing groove to which the fixing lever is coupled so that the front support bracket is fixed while the front shelf plate is positioned on a same plane as the rear shelf plate; and 
 a lower fixing groove to which the fixing lever is coupled so that the front support bracket is fixed while the front shelf plate is positioned lowered relative to the rear shelf plate. 
 
     
     
       4. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein
 the front support bracket includes an engaging protrusion to be inserted into the operating groove of the fixed ring plate, and 
 wherein the fixing lever includes a fixing protrusion to be inserted into one of the upper fixing groove and the lower fixing groove of the fixed ring plate. 
 
     
     
       5. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the front support bracket is fixed to one end of the second sprocket which is exposed through the housing cover. 
 
     
     
       6. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein
 the fixing lever is disposed to rotate at a predetermined angle with respect to the front support bracket. 
 
     
     
       7. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the fixing lever comprises:
 a lever body that is triangular shaped; 
 a rotating shaft, provided at a first vertex of the lever body, and supporting rotation of the lever body with respect to the front support bracket; 
 a fixing protrusion, provided at a second vertex of the lever body, and inserted into an upper fixing groove or a lower fixing groove of the fixed ring plate; 
 a handle, provided near a third vertex of the lever body, configured to rotate the lever body about the rotating shaft; and 
 a through hole formed in a center of the lever body and into which a fixing rod provided in the front support bracket is inserted. 
 
     
     
       8. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the front support bracket comprises:
 a main front support bracket fixed to the second sprocket; and 
 a sub front support bracket fixed to the main front support bracket. 
 
     
     
       9. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the shock absorber includes a cylinder and a rod inserted into the cylinder, and 
 wherein one end of the cylinder is rotatably disposed at the rear support bracket, and one end of the rod is rotatably disposed at the support arm. 
 
     
     
       10. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the rear support bracket is provided with a stopper to limit rotation of the support arm, and one end of the support arm is provided with a projecting part to interfere with the stopper. 
 
     
     
       11. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the left shelf sliding and lowering mechanism and the right shelf sliding and lowering mechanism comprises:
 a first lever including a first end rotatably disposed at the rear support bracket and a second end rotatably disposed at the front support bracket; 
 a second lever disposed parallel to the first lever and including a first end rotatably disposed at the rear support bracket and a second end rotatably disposed at the front support bracket; and 
 a lever guide portion, vertically extending from a lower end of the hanger, configured to guide slide movement of the second lever, 
 wherein while the second lever is moved out of the lever guide portion, the front shelf plate is lowered while maintaining the horizontal state. 
 
     
     
       12. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the first lever is provided with an engaging jaw at the first end disposed at the rear support bracket, and 
 wherein the rear support bracket is provided with a first lever stopper on which the engaging jaw of the first lever is caught. 
 
     
     
       13. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 an engaging portion is provided at the first end of the second lever disposed on the rear support bracket, and 
 wherein the rear support bracket is provided with a second lever stopper on which the engaging portion of the second lever is caught. 
 
     
     
       14. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the front support bracket is provided with a shock absorber, and 
 wherein one end of the shock absorber is rotatably disposed at the second end of the second lever. 
 
     
     
       15. The pull down refrigerator shelf as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 a length of the front shelf plate is shorter than a length of the rear shelf plate. 
 
     
     
       16. A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body having an open front surface and a storage compartment therein; 
 a door disposed to open and close the storage compartment of the main body; 
 a pair of rack bars disposed on an inner surface of the storage compartment of the main body; and 
 a pull down refrigerator shelf to be fixed to the pair of rack bars, 
 wherein the pull down refrigerator shelf comprises:
 a rear shelf plate; 
 a front shelf plate, disposed in front of the rear shelf plate, configured to be selectively positioned on a same plane as the rear shelf plate or lowered relative to the rear shelf plate; and 
 a shelf sliding and lowering mechanism, disposed under the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate, configured to allow the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate to slide integrally, and to allow the front shelf plate to be selectively positioned to be lowered relative to the rear shelf plate while maintaining a horizontal state in a state where the rear shelf plate is moved forward with the front shelf plate and is stopped, 
 
 wherein the shelf sliding and lowering mechanism comprises a left shelf sliding and lowering mechanism and a right shelf sliding and lowering mechanism which are disposed under the rear shelf plate and the front shelf plate and are spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other, 
 wherein each of the left shelf sliding and lowering mechanism and the right shelf sliding and lowering mechanism comprises:
 a rear support bracket configured to support the rear shelf plate; 
 a slide rail configured to slide the rear support bracket; 
 a hanger configured to fix the slide rail and detachably disposed in the refrigerator; 
 a support arm, rotatably disposed at one end of the rear support bracket, configured to allow the front shelf plate to be lowered in the horizontal state; 
 a shock absorber disposed on the rear support bracket and supporting one end of the support arm; 
 a front support bracket, rotatably disposed at another end of the support arm, configured to support the front shelf plate; and 
 a fixing lever provided in at least one of the left shelf sliding and lowering mechanism and the right shelf sliding and lowering mechanism, the fixing lever configured to allow the front support bracket to be fixed or rotated relative to the support arm, and 
 wherein the support arm comprises:
 a housing having one side formed as an opening; 
 first and second fixed shafts disposed on a bottom surface of the housing; 
 a first sprocket and a second sprocket rotatably disposed on the first and second fixed shafts; 
 a chain wound around the first and second sprockets; 
 a housing cover configured to cover the opening of the housing and to support the first sprocket and the second sprocket to rotate; and 
 
 a fixed ring plate, provided on one end portion of the housing cover, configured to rotate or fix the front support bracket with respect to the housing together with the fixing lever. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein
 the front shelf plate of the pull down refrigerator shelf is positioned lower than the rear shelf plate in a state in which the front shelf plate is projected forward of the main body.